


The Agony To Meet You

by stephaniesomelette



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Alpha Park Chanyeol, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Byun Baekhyun, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Byun Baekhyun, Rich Park Chanyeol, Seamstress Byun Baekhyun, Smut, Top Park Chanyeol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:34:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephaniesomelette/pseuds/stephaniesomelette
Summary: Baekhyun is a penniless omega, locked up to work as a seamstress for the Disraeli family due to his impeccable talent in embroidery. Chanyeol, an alpha and a rich merchant, enters the Disraeli house with the intention of buying a tailored suit, but leaves to find out that the real designer behind all of Disraeli family’s masterpieces is the omega.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 84
Kudos: 302





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> New story! Trying to experiment with writing more A/B/O. This fic is inspired by the webtoon "A Proxy Painter", it's really good! Enjoyyy

**1700s, The Disraeli Manor**

One stitch forward, poke the needle down, again. Another stitch more, make a small hoop around, tie the knot.

The room was small and dark, but full of mannequins; different colours of thread and every material of cloth you could think of. The dresses were spectacular, some on a soft ivory tulle with beaded detailing and soft embroidered roses, others like a closet pandora hanging elegantly atop a fitting robe. 

In the middle of the room, was an omega stitching every dress by hand, sitting on top of a barely hanging wooden chair, and rusty fingers that have been tired out from stitching overtime. It’s crazy to believe that all these dresses were made by one boy, Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun, red-eyed and miserable, tried to focus on his work, but his throat was so dry and he felt so hungry from the lack of food in his stomach. There was barely any sunlight coming in from his shabby little workspace, he doesn’t even know what time it was. Judging from his hunger, it’s probably way past 10 in the evening.

The door suddenly opens, and Baekhyun immediately speeds up the stitching, if he doesn’t finish it on time-

“Boy, show me your progress.” The man walked in and spoke with a haughty breath, pot belly protruding as he stared distastefully at the omega.

Baekhyun submits immediately in fear of punishment, presenting his work to the man, beautifully embroidered stars and lilies on the fabric. The stitching was like looking at a piece of art. The man takes a quick glance at the embroidery, paused for a moment before huffing a little before tossing it to the side.

“You stupid omega, do you think this will sell? I told you, we are only stitching FLOWERS! Nobody has time for some stupid stars!” 

The man throws a punch at the omega, and all Baekhyun could do was mumble a thousand apologies like he had always done. It was the only way he could stop the pain. Baekhyun tries to protect himself by crouching into a ball, but he was so skinny, and there was barely any fat in his body to protect him from the sturdy and heavy punches from the man. 

The perpetrator was Erik Disraeli, everyone in the country knew him because of his remarkable designs in fashion. The family have had many famous customers, including royalty, viscounts and the barons. 

But too bad, Erik Disraeli couldn’t even hold a needle and a thread. His stitching? Pathetic. 

Every customer who left with an iconic “Disraeli” dress was actually wearing something painstakingly sewn by Byun Baekhyun. The family charged a few hundred florins per dress, but poor Baekhyun got none of that, he didn’t even know that he should have been paid for his hard work. Baekhyun also didn’t realize that people talked about the unique stitching and the beautiful dresses all the time, named as the “Disraeli Style”. 

Erik Disraeli made a name for himself without doing anything, all he needed was an obedient seamstress locked up in their basement. Erik only knew how to crush the omega’s worth, hurling nonsense that would make the boy feel more worthless. He made the omega feel like he was the most useless human to ever walk this earth, that he should be thankful that he even has a roof over his head.

“Eat this and redo everything. Pathetic.” Erik shakes his head and locks the door.

Baekhyun limps over to grab that measly piece of dry bread and a dish of water. He hates how he’s gobbling this piece of bread up like a beggar, how hard he was chewing at it so that his stomach could quickly be filled. He gulps that little bit of water, which only eased his dry throat by just a little. 

Being here is much worse than being on the streets.

When Baekhyun was a little boy, he heard about the unique ability that omegas had. He knew that they were rare, but it fascinated him to know that he would one day be able to bear a child of his own. But his fantasy was quickly shattered, when he started roaming the streets at an older age, realizing that omegas were the worst off in their society. 

Baekhyun remembers how he had crouched at a cornerstone of a shop somewhere when he was thirteen, playing with a thread and needle and embroidering a piece of cloth. Another foster home had just rejected him again for being an omega, he had to survive with what he could find. What Baekhyun didn’t realise at that time was that there was a man watching over him at a corner, admiring his handicraft.

_ “Hi, I’m Erik Disraeli, would you like to stitch to your heart’s content? I’ll provide you with all the material you need. I will make you famous. Just trust me.”  _

The man had placed a warm glass of milk in Baekhyun’s hand and a florin in his other palm like a peace offering, smiling gently and wiping the ash off Baekhyun’s cheek. He spoke with such a fatherly voice that Baekhyun had grabbed onto his hand willingly, hoping that it would lead him to a much better future. 

But he was wrong, taking that man’s hand is probably the worst decision in his life.

It’s been almost eight years now, and Baekhyun has never stopped churning out new dresses and suits everyday. He doesn’t know where his designs go, only given certain measurements and told to create the best dress he could think of. If not, the Disraeli family tortures him, grabs his hair and starves him until he does something they are pleased with. Keeping quiet is his way of admitting defeat, that the dreams he once yearned for were just foolish thinking. 

Baekhyun used to love embroidery so much, but now when he looks at his scarred hands, trembling with every stitch, he feels like his passion for the craft is on the verge of falling down a perpetual pit. He couldn’t even look at his needle without feeling the need to tremor in fear anymore. It was pure torture.

Baekhyun limps and goes over to blow the candle, deciding to call it a night. The room is shabby and small, mostly used to store the cloths and threads, and only a small corner is available for Baekhyun to make a sleeping area. It was only a thin piece of cloth and a pillow made from some leftover cotton. The floor is hard and cold.

Baekhyun tries to make himself comfortable, but his skin constantly grazes against the rough patch of the wooden floor, making him hiss at the searing feeling around his back and legs. 

-

Chanyeol steps out from his carriage and looks up at the Disraeli manor, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. He notices how one of the maids had quickly ran in to inform their master of the unexpected guest the moment they saw his carriage arrive, it was important since Chanyeol appeared to be incredibly rich and handsome. The maids told him to take a quick tour of the house as their master prepares to greet him.

Chanyeol walks around, and finds himself walking into a room filled with extravagant dresses and suits of every design. Chanyeol decides to take a closer look, he’s in awe of the impeccable stitching that no other household could replicate. It was so beautiful, every stitch so elegant and meaningful. He couldn’t wait to get a Disraeli piece of his own.

_ Sniff. Sniff. _

Chanyeol turns his head, surprised by the sudden sound. His eyes travel around the room, trying to find the source of the noise. Chanyeol notices a mop of hair behind a curtain, he goes closer and opens it, expecting a puppy to run out.

But all Chanyeol sees is a skinny boy in ragged clothing, with a needle and thread in his hand.

“Hello, are you okay in there?” Chanyeol asked, kneeling to be on the same level with the boy.

Baekhyun looked startled, he is definitely going to get punished if the master finds out.

“Wait, don’t be afraid. I’m Park Chanyeol.” Chanyeol tries, reaching a hand out to show his good intention. He frowns when he realizes that the boy isn’t responding.

“Um, do you not speak?” Chanyeol tries again, more gently this time, but the boy’s breathing becomes even heavier, scrambling to put his needle and thread away.

“Park Chanyeol! I’m so sorry for being late, I have heard so many great things about you…” Erik Disraeli walks in with a polite smile, but it immediately falters when he sees the boy in Park Chanyeol’s embrace.

“You brat, what are you doing here? Get out, I’ll deal with you later.” Erik scolded, dragging Baekhyun out roughly before asking one of the maids to bring him away. Chanyeol stares at the scene, and notices the scars on the boy’s legs as they bring him away.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Park. That boy is one of our servants, he’s always causing trouble. I heard you were interested in getting a tailored suit for yourself.” Erik spoke warmly, a complete change from a second ago, guiding him over to look at the designs. 

Chanyeol couldn’t get the thought of the boy out of his head.

“Yes, and I’ll pay you a thousand florins if I can get it by the end of the month.” Chanyeol proposed, smiling vaguely at the man. 

Erik’s eyes widened. Park Chanyeol was much richer than he thought. He had heard about a certain rich merchant who had travelled the different seas, opened up trading and made a lot of money. A thousand florins would be enough to buy them a new house!

“A thousand florins, Mr. Park? O-Of course, though we will need you to make a deposit first.”

Chanyeol calls for his assistant, who pulls out a large cloth bag and places it in Erik’s hands. Erik gasped, he has never held this much money before.

“Here, a thousand florins. I hope you can fulfill my request. I’ll add a hundred more florins if I could see some stitching today. This embroidery, it really is remarkable. ” Chanyeol smiled as he looked at some sample pieces, they were really beautiful.

Erik stammered, but continued smiling. Chanyeol was not the first client to request to see his stitching. He hoped Chanyeol wouldn’t suspect him. “Sorry Mr. Park, I’m not uh, feeling very well today, I’ll just accept the thousand florins!” 

“Alright, I look forward to working with you.” Chanyeol gives a bland shake of a hand, an inexpressible and stoic expression on his face. It made Erik Disraeli a little scared.

“Thank you Mr. Park, please come again next week so that we can prepare to do the measurements!”

-

Baekhyun groaned when he was faced with another blow to the stomach. Ever since Park Chanyeol left the Disraeli house, Erik had gone downstairs to give the omega a painful lesson.

“Pathetic omega, you can’t even follow instructions. Why did you leave your room?” Erik throws another punch at the omega’s face, hand placed around Baekhyun’s neck in a choking posture. Baekhyun scratched the man’s hand, there was hardly any air left in his lungs.

“F-Food.” Baekhyun choked out, before he was finally released from Erik’s grip, coughing as he fell to the floor.

“Ungrateful bastard, I already feed you and you speak back to me? One more time and I’ll sell you to a brothel. You’re an omega after all, that’s the only other thing you could do.” Erik grabbed onto Baekhyun’s shirt roughly, causing the omega to shake his head feverishly. The brothel is the last place he wants to be in.

Erik throws one last punch at the omega before heading back upstairs. Baekhyun hears him muttering to one of the maids about wanting to change the lock, that way, Baekhyun will never escape. 

Baekhyun slowly closed his eyes, too tired to think about anything. His body is sore from all the cuts and bruises, he’s broken beyond repair. Before Baekhyun drifts off to sleep, he dreams of the man who had been so kind to him today, and wonders if they’ll meet again.

  
  



	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun and Chanyeol meet again.

“Park Chanyeol, nice to see you again. My son will be in charge today with the help of our servant. Just relax and we’ll do all the necessary.” 

Erik smiled, guiding Chanyeol to their guest area. Chanyeol notices the same boy standing next to a table at the back, the boy’s eyes widened as he looks back at him.

When Chanyeol had returned home that night, he couldn’t stop thinking about Baekhyun. The way his hands were creased from hours of hard labor, Chanyeol wonders if the boy was really just a mere servant. When he had shaken Erik Disraeli’s hand, he knew something was up. The old man’s hand was baby smooth, as if he had never made any effort or labored in his life. There was no way this man’s hands could have created the extremely intricate and detailed dresses that everybody knew of.

Chanyeol wanted to know more. He gives a small smile, hoping the boy wouldn’t be so fearful around him. Erik glares at the interaction between the two. There was no need to be so nice to a servant, he thought.

“I’m James Disraeli, nice to meet you.” A twenty-ish old man interrupts and smiles at Chanyeol. He had chestnut brown hair and broad shoulders, trying to give Chanyeol a good impression. 

“Alright, please begin.” Chanyeol said sternly, wanting to see some actual work being done.

The father-son duo nodded and quickly got to their seats, slowly putting the thread into the needle, slowly pulling out the fabrics and slowly sketching out the possible designs. Chanyeol couldn’t help but continue staring at the servant at the back, who looks like he’s about to sink to the ground from standing for so long.

“Ouch...the needle keeps pricking my blouse…” James complained, touching the sleeves of his clothes. Erik cleared his throat, hoping Chanyeol did not hear what his son had said.

An hour was spent just to take his measurements, and the rest of the time was just trying to see James Disraeli try to make a proper stitch. Chanyeol notices how the servant is now looking with clenched fists, his hands aching to take the needle and thread from his master’s hands.

“Apologies Mr. Park. My son is still a seamstress in progress. Please help yourself to the tea for a short break.” Erik smiled apologetically before dragging his son away, leaving Chanyeol alone in the guest room with Baekhyun standing in the corner.

Once the door shuts, Chanyeol eyes the boy, his mind bursting with questions. He observed how Baekhyun would occasionally look up, but once his eyes met Chanyeol’s, he’ll blush furiously and look down again.

Chanyeol gets up from the comfy couch and walks towards Baekhyun, causing the omega to stagger and gasp when Chanyeol ends up grabbing his hands, smiling. All the cuts and little scars on Baekhyun’s delicate fingers, Chanyeol sees through it all. He could see the years of hard work and the painstaking stitches these fingers have done. The true artist was never Erik Disraeli. 

Chanyeol smirks as he looks at those fingers, “These hands, are the hands of a true seamstress.”

Astonished, Baekhyun felt his breath hitch as Chanyeol looked at him with a vile smirk, Park Chanyeol had just unfolded the Disraeli family’s biggest lie.

-

“James! My boy, how could you say that in front of Park Chanyeol? Do you want our scam to fall into ruins?” Erik scolded his son, who simply crossed his arms, unamused.

“I’m sick of being a genius seamstress, father! I hate stitching, I don’t want anything to do with this family business. Why can’t you ask Bennet to do it?” James retorts. He didn’t know why his father was adamant about making him the heir of their family business, when he wanted to be a poet instead. 

Embroidery is just not his thing, and he hated this family. James pitied the way Baekhyun was treated, he has seen his parents do some unimaginable things to the boy, torturing him to no end. James tried to slip in some medicine for Baekhyun once in a while, but his father kept changing the lock to his displeasure. 

“Shut up son. You will take over this business and do as I say. If not, I will cut your allowance by a hundred florins.” Erik threatened, causing his eldest son to roll his eyes, trudging back to the guest room.

Park Chanyeol eventually leaves the Disraeli Manor after finalising the design of his suit, leaving Baekhyun to stare out of the window and look at the man hopping onto his carriage, waving goodbye to the Disraeli family members. Baekhyun stared at his palm, the one that Chanyeol had grabbed onto so gently just now. 

_ Is Mr. Park different from the Disraelis? _

Baekhyun’s looks back up, eyes opening in stunned surprise when he saw Chanyeol looking up at the house, eyes travelling to meet Baekhyun’s. Chanyeol gives the boy a quick grin, before his carriage drives off and out of the manor.

Baekhyun felt a queasy feeling in his stomach, he has a feeling that they will meet again very soon.

-

Baekhyun is sent to the market the following week to get more supplies for Park Chanyeol’s suit, which was to be ready in two weeks. The moment they left in the Disraeli carriage, Baekhyun winced at how bright the sunlight was. When was the last time he had seen the sun this bright? Perhaps two months ago?

Baekhyun’s expression quickly changes when something is heavily pressed on to his feet, his face scrunching up in pain. He whimpered and noticed that it was Erik, pinning his leather shoe onto his foot. 

“Don’t you dare think of running away later. We’re only going there to get more fabric, got it?”

Baekhyun could only nod.

They finally reach the market, and Baekhyun gets off to go to the fabrics store with the few florins Erik had given him. Erik would usually spend quite a while at a nearby brothel, Baekhyun often sees him coming out from there with a few women hanging onto him. 

Baekhyun quickly bought all the cloth he needed, hoping the beautiful lake nearby. The last time he had been here, he had stared into the horizon where the sun met the lake, his feet were telling him to make a dash for just a small peek at the scenery, but it was unfortunate that Erik was already pushing him onto the carriage before he could even take a step forward.

Baekhyun pushes the leaves away from the massive trees, and he sees the water, a glittering crystal clear, the breeze just amazing. Baekhyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the air, it was comforting to be in such an open space after being locked in such a tiny room for so long. It was freedom, and the view in front of him, he wished he could look at it forever.

“Do you come here too?”

Baekhyun turns, and sees Chanyeol coming into sight, sitting down on the grass and looking at the view with admiration too. Baekhyun steps back a little, hesitant on going closer to the merchant. Moreover an alpha.

Chanyeol surveys the layers of cloth in Baekhyun’s arms, it doesn’t take him long to realize that those fabrics were for making his suit.

“How’s the suit coming along? Is the stitching difficult? I am quite demanding.” Chanyeol chuckled softly, seeing how Baekhyun was sitting a metre away from him.

“N-No…” Baekhyun mumbled as he crouched to sit under a tree, eyes fixated only on the view.

“Hey,” Chanyeol sat up, shifting closer to Baekhyun, but Baekhyun gathered his items, moving further away from Chanyeol in response. “How about I sponsor you as my seamstress? I promise you will be paid well, and you can stitch to your heart’s content, what do you say? You could become famous.”

_ “Hi, I’m Erik Disraeli, would you like to stitch to your heart’s content, little one? I’ll provide you with all the material you need. I will make you famous.”  _

Baekhyun shivered as he heard those words, it was the exact words that Erik Disraeli had said to him eight years ago. Baekhyun shakes his head, they are all the same - they manipulate vulnerable people like him, especially omegas. Baekhyun should have never taken Erik Disraeli’s hand, and he won’t make the same mistake with Park Chanyeol.

“Baekhyun! Bastard, where did you run off to!”

Baekhyun immediately stiffens at the call of his name. 

“I h-have to go.”

Taking one last glance at Chanyeol, he gathers all the fabric and runs out of the lake past the bushes and trees. Chanyeol sighs, staring at the small man running off in his ragged clothing.

Recruiting Byun Baekhyun was much more difficult than he thought.

Chanyeol’s butler returns a while later with an umbrella to block his master from the hot sun, and opens a small tin of biscuits for Chanyeol to nibble on. Looking around, the butler makes sure that it was safe before bending down, “Sir Park, we found some insider information about the Disraeli family. They have a boy in their basement named Byun Baekhyun. Erik Disraeli possesses the lock to the room.”

Chanyeol nods and bites on another biscuit. 

Byun Baekhyun, what an interesting name.

“And also,” The butler spoke in a hushed tone, “The staff of the Disraeli house seem to be starting a revolt tonight. Erik Disraeli has been delaying their pay for four moons now, and the maids have complained of being grabbed inappropriately by the master of the house himself.”

Chanyeol knew his senses were right, something about the Disraeli family was damned and corrupt. It wasn’t just Baekhyun who was suffering, but almost the rest of the staff as well. The confidential information was like honey for his ears, the Disraeli family will go down, and the sweet victory will be his. 

“What’s more shocking, Sir Park, is that this is led by the son of Erik Disraeli, James Disraeli! He planned this with the staff to run away, says he’s had enough of stitching. They’re planning to burn the house down tonight.” The butler shakes his head at the disastrous state of the Disraeli family. 

Chanyeol nodded, “Go and meet one of the maids of the Disraeli house now, pay them two hundred florins, I want the key to Byun Baekhyun’s room.”

The butler frowned, “Sir, isn’t it wrong to be involved in this mess? That boy is just a servant!”

Chanyeol smiled smugly, throwing a pebble into the lake, “Who said I am involved in this? I’m just trying to speed up the process.”

He’ll save that boy from that hellhole he called home. He’ll sponsor him and make him famous. 

-

“Baekhyun, are all omegas as stupid as you? I told you, don’t you dare run away, I will always find you somehow.” Erik Disraeli was back in Baekhyun’s room, throwing punches at the boy. 

The maids outside winced as they heard a bone crack, Baekhyun must be in a lot of pain.

“Mr. Erik, I w-was not trying to escape, I went to the la-ke.” Baekhyun choked out as his chest heaved painfully, he could feel the bruises begin to form at his wrists.

“Lies! Since you want to escape so much, I’ll make sure you never leave this room again.” Erik grabs a ceramic cup from the table, causing Baekhyun to quickly back away as best as he could, begging for him to stop. Erik Disraeli is fucking insane.

“Please, Mr. Erik, no! I promise I won’t do it ever again!”

But Baekhyun’s pleas unfortunately fell on deaf ears, the man raised the cup from a high angle and knocked it onto Baekhyun’s leg. Baekhyun cried and felt the burning sensation on his skin, he could feel the muscle tearing and it only became worse with every breath he took.

“Stupid omega.” Erik muttered, before finally leaving the room.

Baekhyun plops his body onto the hard wooden floor. Even breathing made his whole body sting, he would rather Erik knock him out cold, so he wouldn’t have to feel this searing hot pain coming from every part of his body. His body felt hot, and then cold, his head fighting to stay conscious. 

But Baekhyun soon closes his eyes, hoping all of this would quickly come to an end.

A few hours later, all the candles in the Disraeli house have been blown, except for a few under the basement. All the maids and staff of the household were huddled together, with James Disraeli in the middle.

“So here’s the plan. Light the fire, and I’ll run away first. Once it spreads to the first floor, you guys can start running too. Here’s the money from the old man’s safe, it’ll be more than enough once you escape.” James Disraeli ordered, and all the staff nod in gratitude. 

James Disraeli watched the candle. He knows it is wrong, but it is nothing compared to all the corruption and dark secrets that his family harboured. He had seen everything, from his father abusing women, to locking a boy in their basement, and bribing people to cover up their crimes. James Disraeli had enough, he would rather live an ordinary life than to stay in such a terrible household for the rest of his life. The money and fame means nothing when these people he had called his family were so cruel, they were better off dead.

“The key, have you passed it to the butler already? He’ll come for Baekhyun soon.” One of the maids nodded, confirming that they had done it.

“Okay, light the candle now.”

The butler hesitated a little, but eventually lit the candle on the wooden floor, watching as it began to spread. James Disraeli takes that as his cue to leave, he opens the door and covers his head with his cloak.

“I hope to cross paths with you all again. Leave and be free, none of this is your fault, it’s just me trying to make up for my sins.”

And with that, James Disraeli is gone.

-

“Mr. Park, we’re ready.”

Chanyeol stationed his carriage in the woods near the Disraeli household, he drew the curtain and peeks out, noticing how the fire had begun to spread to the first floor. The flames were huge, spreading like wildfire. The fire was angry and unforgiving, as if it was punishing the Disraeli family for their sins.

Chanyeol jumps out of his carriage and covers his body in a thick cloak to protect himself from the fire.

“Be careful out there, Sir. Remember to take the key with you!” The butler shouted with worry, seeing how the fire is becoming even stronger.

The butler flinched at the ferocious flames, roaring and blazing as it consumed more wood. He couldn’t help but wonder, is the boy really worth the risk?

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” Chanyeol assured, before covering his face with a cloth and making a run for the basement, the key in his hand. All Chanyeol thought about was the boy with the needle and thread, he needs that boy alive.

-

“Father! There’s a fire!” Bennet Disraeli shouted as he ran into his parents’ room, Erik and his wife immediately jumped out of the bed, noticing that the fire was gobbling up their home through their window.

“Where is James?” Erik shouted, running into his room to pack every dress he could fit into his luggage.

“He told me he would be at the market an hour ago, he’s probably still there.”

“Then what are you waiting for, boy? Hurry up and bring all these mannequins out! Start with the more expensive dresses first!”

While the Disraeli family are busy trying to move out all their items, they have forgotten about the boy in their basement. Their duckling who laid the golden eggs. 

“Please! Anyone, help me!”

Baekhyun coughed as he knocked harshly on the wooden door. He was trying his best to break the door down, but he was weak, and could barely move his leg. Baekhyun was woken up from his sleep when he smelled the foul smoke, the room became incredibly humid and he could see some of the flames gobbling up the edge of his room.

“Please...anyone…”

The smoke becomes too overwhelming, and the knocks on the door begin to subside. Baekhyun’s body flops onto the ground, suffocated by the lack of air entering his lungs.

_ I don’t want to die like this. _

Baekhyun let a tear slide down his cheek before he became unconscious. He dreams about that lake down the market once more, it was beautiful while it lasted. 

_ I’ll never get to see it again. _

A few minutes later, the door unlocks. 

The man pulls down his mask, staring at the miserable and unconscious boy in front of him.

“I’m sorry I was late.”

Chanyeol looks at the mannequins in the room, and notices one particular suit standing out. It was his. The embroidery was stunning and Baekhyun definitely spent many hours making every stitch. It was just like what he had requested. More beautiful, even.

“It’s stunning, but too bad, it’ll have to burn with the fire.”

Chanyeol puts his mask back on and carries the boy bridal style, and runs back to the woods. The moment Chanyeol makes it out of the door, the whole platform collapses, succumbing to the flames.

The butler heaves a sigh of relief once he spots his master, rushing him back onto the carriage as they ride back home.

“Hurry, his breathing is unstable.”

  
  



	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun wakes up to a bowl of cream corn.

“Erik! What about the boy! The key, I can’t find it!” Erik’s wife shouted, rummaging through their cabinets for the right key, but she couldn’t find that particularly shaped one. Her husband and son were busy moving out more items.

Erik remembered about Baekhyun and hurriedly ran over to check the basement, but he had to stumble backwards, observing as it combusted in flames. Bennet covers his mouth in shock, all there was left was the remnants of old, burnt fabric.

“The boy is probably dead, Victoria. We’ll just have to find someone else.” 

Erik sighed at the disaster in their own home. They eventually made it out of the house, staring as the entire structure soon collapsed and engulfed in flames. The wood turned crisp, burning all they possessed into fine, thin dust. This was the price they had to pay for their sins, the repentance for all their wrongdoings. 

They’ll have to look somewhere for shelter tonight. 

-

Chanyeol stood up and paced around Baekhyun’s room. He could hear the sighs, the doctor only continued to shake his head as he checked on the unconscious boy. 

Chanyeol felt his knuckles turning white, this was worse than he had predicted it to be. It would’ve been fine if the injuries were just from the fire, but Baekhyun’s body told otherwise, his back colored with black and blues. The Disraeli family seemed like such an educated and well brought up family, to think that they would do something so terrible, it was beyond his imagination.

“This boy has clearly been starved. He’s severely malnourished and is definitely older than he looks.” The doctor places his stethoscope on Baekhyun’s chest, making sure that he was breathing normally. From the fire a few days ago, Baekhyun had inhaled a lot of smoke.

The maids were busy, bringing in buckets of cool water to cleanse Baekhyun’s wounds. He had never seen so many scars on a human’s back in his life. Big red slashes that look like they were painted onto the poor boy’s back with rage.

“Mr. Park, I ran some tests as you have requested too,” The doctor pulls out a paper with Baekhyun’s name on it. “This boy is an omega, but he is at risk of becoming a recessive due to the poor condition of his body. His chances of being pregnant will be slim.”

An omega. 

Omegas are of the lowest rank seen only for their biological function, which is to bear pups. Becoming a recessive omegas would be hell for Baekhyun. Since most of them couldn’t bear children, they were often sent to brothels to please customers.

“What can he do, doctor?” Chanyeol asked.

“I suggest waiting it out. We don’t have treatment ready, it might take a while for his first heat to happen. Some omegas get lucky, some don’t.”

Chanyeol bids the doctor goodbye once he makes sure Baekhyun’s condition is stable. Chanyeol was still troubled by the thought that the Disraelis had made a perfectly capable omega into a near recessive, he doesn’t even want to think how that was possible.

The maids and butler take their leave as well. Chanyeol walks over to Baekhyun’s bedside, a look of pity on his face. What an unlucky boy. Chanyeol decided to sit by the bed to take a look at the omega. Baekhyun’s running a high fever, with his hair matted to his forehead and his skin almost akin to a pale ceramic white. One of his legs was bandaged tightly after seeing small shards of ceramic in his ankle. 

Chanyeol has something to be optimistic about though. After Baekhyun’s body had been wiped clean of all the dirt and his unkempt hair trimmed, the boy is pretty cute.

Chanyeol blows the candle after one last glance, and leaves the room.

A few days later, the omega begins to show signs of waking up, squirming on the  _ surprisingly soft  _ bed and fluffy pillows. It feels odd, Baekhyun thinks, eyes still closed. Since when did he have such a nice bed in the Disraeli house? It must be a dream.

But thirty minutes later, he’s still on the same bed. Everything feels so real. Baekhyun begins to slowly open his eyes, staring at the huge room. He was propped up on a massive bed with a beautiful bed frame, with an elegant wooden desk at the side.

“Baekhyun, have some soup.”

Baekhyun immediately flinched when he heard that voice. Chanyeol walks in with a tray in his hands, ignoring the panic he sensed from the omega. Baekhyun gets out of the duvet and tries to crawl away, but Chanyeol quickly puts him back on the bed, forcing him to rest.

“Baekhyun, you have a fever, and your leg; the wound is still open. You won’t recover if you run around like that.” Chanyeol sits calmly by the bed, opening up the lid to reveal a warm and creamy bowl of corn consomme as Baekhyun’s lunch. The doctor recommended a liquid diet for the first week of recovery.

“H-How do you know my name? Why am I here?” Baekhyun hesitated, his eyes nervous. What would Mr. Disraeli say if he knew Baekhyun was here? 

“I happened to pass by the Disraeli house when I saw the fire,” Chanyeol responds, pushing the soup closer to the omega. Baekhyun gulps and takes the spoon, scooping up a thin layer of soup. 

“Erik Disraeli was busy bringing out the dresses, but I couldn’t see any sight of you. He probably thinks you’re dead. He’s one selfish man.” Chanyeol muttered. 

Baekhyun kept quiet, staring at the bowl of soup in front of him. He couldn’t be bothered to think about Mr. Erik at this point, the man already thinks he’s dead. The soup appeared warm and inviting, Baekhyun couldn’t remember the last time he had a warm meal. Years of stale bread and water, and suddenly he is presented with something so luxurious, only the sweetest bits of corn picked to make this delectable bowl of soup. 

Chanyeol picks up on the omega’s discomfort, the boy frowned like he was having a dilemma.

“Why aren’t you drinking, Baekhyun?” 

“Is this whole bowl f-for me?” Baekhyun asked, holding onto the metal spoon tightly. 

“Of course. And you better finish it all, the doctor said you need to put on more weight to become healthy.” Chanyeol grabbed the spoon and scooped a big serving of soup, blowing it gently before feeding it to the omega like a little bird. Baekhyun’s cheeks turned a reddish tint, the soup sliding down his throat like a healing potion, it made his stomach feel warm and settled, it was nothing like the stale bread that required painful swallowing and scraped every edge of his throat. 

Chanyeol felt his anger coursing internally. What kind of master was Erik Disraeli? Soup was not even considered a proper meal, he was genuinely curious as to what kind of food Baekhyun ate that made him so skinny. Chanyeol always made sure that his staff had proper meals, he couldn’t imagine feeding them any less.

“Thank you, Mr. Park. I will forever be indebted to you.” Baekhyun spoke gratefully to the man who had saved him from the fire, he really didn’t know how he could repay such an act, what if Chanyeol had lost his life trying to save him?

Chanyeol chuckles at the formality, but proceeds to wipe the corner of Baekhyun’s mouth and gets up to adjust his blazer. “You’re welcome. To repay my kindness, focus on getting better. Now I have to go attend a meeting, I’ll see you soon.”

With a casual wave, Chanyeol leaves and another maid enters. The maid this time was much older and looked much more superior than the rest, she had a stern expression but it turned warm once she looked at Baekhyun. Baekhyun had heard of the other maids, and even Chanyeol, addressing her as ‘Nanny’.

“Hello, dear, I see that you’re awake. I’m Nanny Yeong. I’ve been with Chanyeol since he was a little boy. Would you like to change into the clothes he had prepared for you?” Nanny Yeong gives Baekhyun a gentle smile, showing him the fresh set of clothes made just for him.

Baekhyun stares at the cloth in the old woman’s hands. The clothes were beautiful and fitting, but he was slightly uncomfortable by how clean and opulent it looked. It looked like something that the dukes and barons would wear, definitely not him. Baekhyun believed he deserved nothing and his body would only taint these fabrics.

“Um...do you have my old clothes? The one that I wore in the fire? I will just wear that, please.” 

Nanny Yeong could only blink at the boy in shock.

-

Chanyeol stares at the garden from his window, a bewildered look on his face. The butler panics from the corner, unable to reason out that unreadable expression on their master’s face. 

“Why is Byun Baekhyun digging soil in my garden? And why is he in his old clothes?” Chanyeol asked sternly.

“Sir, I’m really sorry, but Nanny Yeong said that the boy had asked for his old clothing, and had also asked for work the moment he woke up.” The butler spoke apologetically. It was really beyond their control, but the stern gaze had not washed away from Chanyeol’s face.

“For fuck’s sake, the boy still has a fever! His leg, the bandage!” Chanyeol shouted, and rushed out of his office, going down to force the boy back to his room.

Baekhyun wiped his sweat as he ploughed deeper into the soil, making sure the roots were fine and adding more water to the plants. He hissed at the burning sensation on his ankle, but he couldn't slack off, not when Mr. Chanyeol had done so much for him. The plants didn’t look very nice though, they looked kinda sad after he had worked on them.

“Boy, you added too much water! These plants do not need that much water!” One of the gardeners scolded, and Baekhyun flinched, thinking he was going to be beaten up again.

“I’m Sorry! I’ll do better, I promise.” Baekhyun apologized profusely. He rolled up his sleeves, carrying the pots of flowers around and trying his best. 

“It’s alright to make mistakes boy, why are you so afraid-? Oh, good morning Mr. Park!” The gardener quickly bows seeing the master of the house, but Baekhyun still hasn’t realized, busy pushing the pots to the right places. The gardener sends a quick signal to the oblivious boy, forcing him to greet Chanyeol.

“Gardener Kim, I’ll have to talk to Baekhyun over there for a while, please excuse us.” Chanyeol smiled, before signalling for the dumbfounded boy to follow him. Baekhyun follows behind Chanyeol like a puppy, folding his hands together in respect for the elder. 

“Seems like you have recovered, I have a task for you.” Chanyeol guides Baekhyun to one of his private rooms, cabinets filled with different types of outfits for several occasions. Chanyeol walks over to one of the cabinets, pulling out one of his designer suits with a broken stitch on it due to the poor handicraft, and he pushes it closer to Baekhyun.

“My first task is for you to stitch this for me.”

“M-Me?” Baekhyun stammered, looking at the cloth in his hands. Chanyeol proceeds to place a needle and thread tin in Baekhyun’s other hand, but a streak of fear flashes before Baekhyun’s eyes, causing him to almost drop the tin.

“It just needs a final touch up, it’s a pity, it was a very beautiful embroidered robin…” 

Chanyeol continued, not realising how Baekhyun was convulsing and shivering. Baekhyun stared at the needle with apprehensive fear, it reminded him of being slammed against the hard wooden floor, the suffocating tiny room, the dry bread and raw water. 

_ “Stupid Omega! Bastard! No food for you if you can’t even stitch this properly!” _

Baekhyun doesn’t want to live like that anymore.

“Y-You’re mistaken, Mr. Chanyeol.” Baekhyun chokes out, “I can’t stitch, I can’t even hold a needle and a thread. How could such a lowlife like me possibly do embroidery?” 

Chanyeol holds onto Baekhyun’s arms, noticing how the omega is becoming more flushed with every word, the pain evident in his eyes. Does this genius seamstress have no idea of his own worth? Did Erik Disraeli even tell Baekhyun which influential figure was wearing his dresses? Chanyeol didn’t understand what was drilled into Baekhyun’s mind, it made him angry.

“Baekhyun, calm down.” 

“Please don’t make me stitch again, I can do other things Mr. Chanyeol! Please, please…just don’t, I don’t want to hold a needle again.” Baekhyun spoke with such a broken voice that Chanyeol felt guilty for bringing him here. It’s only been a week, he had been too impatient to see this boy work his craft. 

“I can’t sew, Mr. Chanyeol, I really can’t sew…”

Those words left Baekhyun’s lips and his world turned black. Baekhyun’s face paled, he tumbled backwards and sank to the ground unconscious. Chanyeol quickly catches Baekhyun on time, feeling his forehead, it was burning again. 

One of the maids happened to enter and dropped her basket of laundry at the sight.

“Hurry, call the doctor! Baekhyun, wake up!”

Chanyeol had never felt so apologetic in his life. 

  
  



	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unedited! Sorry if there are plot holes or grammatical errors 🙏🏻

A few hours later, the doctor had just left, noting that the omega still had a high fever and should be in bed. 

Nanny Yeong came into the room with a set of nightwear for Baekhyun to change into. She notices the concern on Chanyeol’s face. It was a seldom seen sight, the merchant was usually cold and unappeasable, it wasn’t easy to soften his expression.

“Chanyeol, you have an appointment with Mr. Sehun tonight. You should get Beom-Seok to send you over now or you’ll be late. We’ll take over from here.” The nanny assured, patting Chanyeol on the back. 

“Alright, when he wakes up, just let him do what he wants to do. I’m off.” Chanyeol smiles at the nanny. She was the only person who Chanyeol had utmost respect for, Nanny Yeong was like a mother to him.

Chanyeol leaves on his carriage and soon arrives at the Oh mansion, a maid already waiting for him at the gate. Chanyeol walks to the familiar field, where he and Sehun would often race each other to a round of horse racing. He gets on one of the horses, riding over to where Sehun already was.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” Chanyeol apologizes. Sehun gives him a kind smile like always.

Oh Sehun was the heir of a rich family that produced fabrics. They were so skilled in their craft that almost all the elites were wearing something made from their family, and Chanyeol was able to make big money trading their fabrics over foreign waters. Sehun was also his close confidant, he knew so many nobles that it was easy to get insider information about them.

“Is it because of the boy?” Sehun asks, noticing the look of frustration on his friend’s face. It has been a common source of Chanyeol’s frustration these days, Chanyeol had ranted about the scars and the fire. Without even meeting Baekhyun, Sehun knew the omega had a tragic backstory.

“Yeah, he’s unconscious again.” Chanyeol responded, chuckling bitterly.

“Poor boy. Oh! I heard that the Disraelis are seeking shelter in Lord Grey’s home.”

“Lord Grey?” Chanyeol’s face darkened at the name.

When Chanyeol was eleven, his parents were put on death sentence because of Lord Grey. It left him and his sister orphaned, and it was only thanks to Nanny Yeong that he had the strength to be where he is today. Lord Grey covered up his own crimes and blamed it on his parents. 

When Nanny Yeong had wiped his tears and embraced him tightly, Chanyeol knew he needed to work hard and rise up the ranks. To avenge his parents’ death.

-

The Disraeli family stepped foot into Lord Grey’s home, wrapping their arms in fake casts and pleading for the nobleman’s help. After the fire in their home, the Disraeli family decided to go to the nearest mansion they knew of, which was Lord Grey’s. Lord Grey was a fan of their designs as well, they were sure the man would agree.

“Lord Grey, you were one of my most outstanding patrons, it brings me great displeasure to come here and ask you to sponsor me in this state. But my house has burnt to the ground, and my son James is missing.” Erik let out a tear, trying his best to gain sympathy from the man.

Lord Grey showed a face of concern, but on the inside, he was smiling. The Disraelis never accepted any sponsors no matter how high nobles had offered. Sponsoring the Disraeli family could mean having exhibitions under his name, they were so famous, it would do justice to his own reputation too.

“Of course, Erik. I am a huge fan of your work, I will be delighted to sponsor you. I have spare rooms for you to use as well.” Lord Grey shakes Erik’s hand, which he accepts gratefully. After some discussion, Lord Grey gives the family a hefty allowance of five hundred florins to recover and buy material for their upcoming designs. 

Once Lord Grey had left the room, Erik unfolds his fake bandage and throws it onto the ground. The rest of the family are equally frustrated, how long can they keep this facade going? 

“Five hundred florins...what a cheapskate.” Erik grumbled under his breath.

“Father, what are we going to do now?” Bennet asked. His brother had been training to be the Disraeli heir for so long, and with the boy presumably dead, they didn’t have a replacement.

“Bennet, you will have to take over your brother’s position until he’s back. I’ll try to find a replacement for the boy. He can’t be the only one with such impeccable talent.” Erik assured, but deep down he knew that there was no one who could replace Baekhyun. 

-

A week later, Baekhyun fully recovered under Nanny Yeong’s supervision, and as Chanyeol ordered, he was allowed to do whatever chores he wanted to do. Of course, some of the maids were wary about giving this boy too much work, since everybody knew that he was Chanyeol’s important guest. But Baekhyun had been so hardworking, mopping the floors, trimming leaves under the hot sun, and he did all that with a smile on his face. 

Baekhyun felt really happy for the first time in his life, the maids all seemed really nice and he loved what they called a “cafeteria”. It’s a place for all the servants to sit together and eat hot meals, and the menu changed everyday! Baekhyun was always fascinated, on some special days they had beef stew with rice, it was his absolute favourite.

Lunch was over and Baekhyun proceeded to sweep the floors on the upper half of the mansion, bowl of water in one hand and a rag in the other.

“Mr. Park! I’m sorry, I take it back!”

Baekhyun jumps at the sudden noise from the outside, he gets up from his crouched position and looks out the window to see the commotion. His fingers pressed against the window, wanting to take a better look at what was happening.

It’s one of the maids at the gate of the mansion, being pushed away by one of Chanyeol’s butlers. There were big fat tears in her eyes, her screams loud and clear until her face turned red. She tried to resist being dragged away, but eventually the men were much stronger than her, successfully chasing her out of the Park Mansion.

Baekhyun grew nervous, what did the maid do wrong? Did she make a big mistake and get herself fired? Baekhyun doesn’t want to leave this place, he must not do what she did.

“Do you know what happened? Why does she have to leave?” Baekhyun asked, going closer to a few maids who he have been speaking to a lot more this past week. The maids only shook their heads and tsked at the poor lady.

“There’s a rule in this household. Sometimes, the maids mistake Mr. Park’s kindness as affection and confess to him. None of the servants are allowed to have feelings for Mr. Park, you’ll end up being like her. Even if she liked him, she should have just kept it to herself.” Emilia shakes her head, it was a pity, Mr. Park paid his staff really well, the lady was not going to find a better job than she does here.

“You get paid?” Baekhyun asked in surprise, shocking the other maids.

“Of course, Baekhyun. If we don’t get paid, why are we here then?” One of the maids spoke gently, pitying the boy a little. Where he came from, it must be a scary place.

_But Mr. Chanyeol feeds you and puts a roof over your head, isn’t that why you are here?_

Baekhyun wondered. Erik had never given him a single florin to keep, he did not own anything, only something to eat and a place to stay. 

The maids soon dispersed, and Baekhyun proceeded to clean the next room.

Baekhyun felt a shiver down his spine when he entered the next room with a pail of water in his hands. There was a dark and looming aura surrounding it in Baekhyun’s eyes, it made him stumble a little. The room had shelves suffocated with different types of fabric. Sharp, uninviting sewing kits that looked ready to prick his already scabbed fingers. 

Baekhyun swallows up his nerves, going over to pick up a needle he found on the floor. It was made of silver, gentle on his skin, and did not prick at all, unlike the usual nickel. His nerves were quickly replaced with awe. Something sparked inside Baekhyun, remembering the joy he used to have when he was little, doing embroidery for fun.

“You! What are you doing in my sewing room?”

Baekhyun flinched and dropped the needle immediately. The woman walks over and points at her precious needle, glaring at Baekhyun.

“I-I’m sorry, I was just-”

“Don’t touch my things if you don’t know how to use them!” Seulgi scolded, fuming with child-like tantrums. Baekhyun didn’t know how to react to the woman in front of him, his eyes trembled with uncertainty.

“Seulgi! Why didn’t you tell me you were returning from Paris today?” Chanyeol walked in, easing the tension between the two.

The lady’s face immediately brightened at the sight of her older brother. “Chanyeol!” She ran over, but her face darkened once more when she turned back to Baekhyun.

“I told you that only my maid was allowed to enter this room! Why did you let this boy in here?” Seulgi stomped, pouting in a childlike manner. Chanyeol simply laughs at her younger sister’s movements, he had spoiled her so much that she became so demanding.

“Seulgi, relax. The boy is a new servant, and you don’t even use this room that often.” Chanyeol teased, eyes travelling to check on Baekhyun who slowly got up and clasped his hands obediently. 

_Hopefully the room could help Baekhyun get back into embroidery again._ Chanyeol thinks, eyeing the needle that fell to the floor. They just needed more time.

“Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun looked up, glancing at Chanyeol with his wide innocent eyes. 

“Come to my office after you’re done.” Chanyeol spoke, before following his sister to his room as she talked about her adventures in Paris.

A while later, there’s a soft knock on his door. Chanyeol looks up to see Baekhyun peeking in slightly behind the door frame, delicate fingers grazing over the wood.

“Mr. Chanyeol, you wanted to see me…” Baekhyun swallowed hard. Chanyeol gestured for him to sit on the leather seat which was facing his desk. 

Chanyeol rested his head on his hand once they were both seated, looking intently at Baekhyun. “Yes, how do you like working here, Baekhyun?” 

“I really like working here, the people are really nice. Oh! A-and I liked the porridge from lunch.” Baekhyun smiled. It’s been less than a month, but he really wants to stay here to work. There were people to talk to, food to eat and rooms to roam. It was the perfect place. Chanyeol looked pleased at Baekhyun’s response, and proceeded to pull out a contract that he had been writing.

“Take a look at the contract, I think the salary is pretty decent.” Chanyeol places it in front of Baekhyun. 

There was an odd silence, Chanyeol noticed how Baekhyun’s eyes travelled up and down the paper, his eyebrows scrunched up.

“...Baekhyun, what’s wrong? Is the salary not enough? I’m sure I can add fifty florins more-” Chanyeol tried to grab the piece of paper, adding more ink to his pen to change the numbers, but Baekhyun shakes his head, making the man even more bewildered.

“Mr. Chanyeol, it’s not because of the salary,” Baekhyun spoke softly, his cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment,

“I don’t know how to read.”

  
  



	5. five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun learns how to write. Chanyeol receives an invitation from Lord Grey's manor.

“I don’t know how to read.”

Chanyeol couldn’t believe his ears. The boy who made those beautiful dresses, with such a sophisticated and unique style that no other seamstress could match up to, was illiterate? His craft was so detailed and every stitch seemed calculated, it’s impossible.

“But-” 

Chanyeol wanted to rebut, but then he sees Baekhyun hiccuping in embarrassment, feeling shameful that he doesn’t know how to read. Chanyeol decides not to pry any further.

“Well then, would you like to learn how to read and write? If you want to, I can teach you.” Chanyeol changed the topic and gave Baekhyun an assuring smile. He had books from when he had taught Seulgi many years ago. Baekhyun’s eyes immediately brightened and he nodded feverishly. Omegas were not taught to read, society thought that it would be a waste of time to make them study. Only omegas born from wealthier families were educated, being able to learn it here for free, he was not going to miss the opportunity.

“Y-Yes! Please teach me, I want to learn.”

-

Baekhyun gripped onto the writing instrument tightly, eyebrows furrowed as he learnt intently. It was nearly twelve midnight, and he was still in Chanyeol’s office. Chanyeol didn’t seem bothered though, he had been teaching Baekhyun patiently. 

“Next, we have to write ‘U’. Do you remember how ‘U’ looks like? It goes like this…” Chanyeol drew the alphabet in the air with a finger, chuckling a little at how focused Baekhyun was, who wrote the letter down carefully onto the paper.

Baekhyun bites his lip, drawing the same curve that Chanyeol had described. Chanyeol looks over with a satisfied nod.

“Good. Now we are left with the last letter. It’s an N.”

“Mr. Chanyeol, I remember N!” 

Baekhyun smiled, scribbling the last alphabet confidently next to ‘U’. Chanyeol smiles when it is finally complete, admiring the careful penmanship on the paper. It was pretty good for the omega’s first attempt.

“Your first word, Baekhyun. This is what your name looks like in the roman alphabet.” Chanyeol passes the paper to Baekhyun. Baekhyun looks at the paper with childlike wonder, a giggle slipping past his lips at his achievement.

“B-A-E-K-H-Y-U-N. Baekhyun.” The omega read out, his finger delicately skimming over each letter. It made his little heart so happy, and a rosy tint blossomed on his cheeks. Baekhyun looked so adorable with childlike wonder, that a smile had unconsciously crept onto Chanyeol’s face as well.

“That’s right. Good job, Baekhyun.”

Nanny Yeong enters with supper for the two. When she places the muffins and jam on the wooden desk, her curiosity forces her to take a quick peek at the two. Chanyeol had never spent so much time on anyone before, even more so a servant. The alpha prioritized his sleep very much. She senses the warmth spouting off the omega, Baekhyun looked the happiest she has seen since he arrived. With more meat to his cheeks and clean clothes, good for him.

“Now, what should we write next? It’ll be good to memorize the alphabet by writing more words.”

“I-I would like to learn how to write your name as well, Mr. Chanyeol.”

Nanny Yeong leaves the room, feeling like she had intruded enough, but that doesn’t stop her from pressing her ear against the door after coming out. It takes a few minutes before she gives up and walks back to her room, sighing on the way.

“All that, just for a boy? The Chanyeol I know would always have an ulterior motive. I do hope he is doing it out of sympathy…”

-

Baekhyun wiped the bookshelves in the library, smiling slightly as he tried to read the letters on each book. It took him a few minutes to read the first one, but slowly, he began to read faster.

When Baekhyun was younger, he found a children’s book tossed onto the ground by some nobleman’s son, but it quickly became Baekhyun’s treasure. He flipped the pages and smiled at the pictures, but the only downside was that he couldn’t figure out what those squiggly curves underneath the picture meant. 

“The My..ste..ries of Eva...lina. The Mysteries of Evalina!” Baekhyun now grinned, proud of himself. He was clueless to the fact that Chanyeol was standing at the door, smiling with his hands crossed at his chest.

“Nice job, Baekhyun.”

The sudden voice makes Baekhyun jump, causing him to slip on the ladder he was standing on. Baekhyun lets out a yelp, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact to come.

Until it doesn’t.

Baekhyun lands in strong arms, head cushioned next to broad shoulders and a scent of lavender and bay tingles his senses. He slowly peeked his eyes open, to see Chanyeol looking at him with a concerned look, but he was more distracted by the close proximity of their faces. It made Baekhyun feel a little awkward being face to face with his employer up close.

“Baekhyun, be careful.” Chanyeol spoke sternly but also gently, arms still holding onto Baekhyun tightly in a bridal style.

“Sorry Mr. Chanyeol, y-you can put me down now.” Baekhyun stuttered, uttering a soft thank you once Chanyeol landed him on the soft carpet. Chanyeol takes a good look at the boy, it has been a good few weeks, and there seems to be a lot more progress - Nanny Yeong had always happily reported to Chanyeol these days that Baekhyun’s wounds are healing and he’s eating a lot better, sometimes even running around in the garden with the other maids. 

Chanyeol was proud of himself for bringing Baekhyun in, who knows what would happen if he were still with the Disraelis. He believed Baekhyun deserved much more than that.

Chanyeol’s thoughts left an awkward silence between the two. Baekhyun fiddled with the wet rag in his hands, not sure of what to do.

“Mr. Chanyeol, did you need anything?” Baekhyun asked, looking at Chanyeol with curious eyes. Chanyeol snapped out of his thoughts, remembering his purpose of coming here.

“Ah, yes. Baekhyun, there is an exhibition tonight, and I would like you to accompany me.” Chanyeol pulls out a beautifully decorated invitation from his pocket, showing it to Baekhyun.

“Me? I don’t think I would be of any help though.” 

Chanyeol notices the worry on Baekhyun’s face, and unconsciously rests a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, tapping it gently. “Don’t worry, you won’t be expected to do much. All you have to do is to be there next to me. Is it too much to ask of you, Baekhyun?” 

Baekhyun shakes his head. Chanyeol had done so much for him and taught him so many things, it’ll be selfish of him to refuse.

“No, I’ll go.”

Chanyeol smiles at Baekhyun’s answer. Now that Baekhyun has agreed, he’s wondering if it's actually a good idea for him to go to tonight's exhibition.

“Very well. Nanny Yeong will assist you in getting dressed. Meet me in the carriage tonight.”

-

Baekhyun follows behind Nanny Yeong and a few other maids to prepare for tonight’s party. The maids quickly hurried and brought out everything they needed, they only had three hours left before the carriage took off. It was like whisking Cinderella away to the royal ball, they must hurry!

Baekhyun was brought to soak in a hot tub with a rose essence mixed into it, and they proceeded to scrub his body, making sure that he was soft and smooth in every area. Once he had changed into the pristine outfit, they put a tint on his lips made from the pulp of strawberries and raspberries, and some powder on his cheeks.

But when they had put some black powder near his eyes, Baekhyun quickly pulled away. It was weird enough that they had painted his lips with fruit, now they want to put ash on his eyes? 

“What’s that? Why are you putting it near my eyes?” Baekhyun asked, a little confused, tilting his head to the side.

“It’s charcoal, Baekhyun. It’ll make your eyes look really nice.” The maid giggled, “I insisted on doing your eyes, it’ll look amazing, I promise you!”

Baekhyun could only keep silent, closing his eyes obediently to allow the maid to work more of her magic on his face.

A few hours later and Chanyeol was tapping his foot anxiously at the entrance of his own home, wondering what was taking Baekhyun and the maids so long. He was ready to get his butler to check on the situation inside, but Nanny Yeong’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Mr. Chanyeol, Baekhyun is ready.”

Chanyeol turned around and the moment he landed his eyes on his servant, he was shaken to the core. 

Baekhyun looked beautiful.

The clothes made him look deserving of being a noble, his messy tufts of brown hair now smooth and soft. He looks nothing near a lowly peasant, the maids really did a fantastic job, he was even prettier than all the noble omegas who had clung onto him during parties.

“Baekhyun, let’s go. We’re running a little late.” Chanyeol coughs a little, trying to change the topic. Baekhyun nods, it will be his first time leaving the Park mansion since he had arrived.

It takes about an hour and a half to reach Lord Grey’s manor, which is another reason why Chanyeol hated attending parties so much. The travelling time was just way too unnecessary, he’ll rather stay home. 

Lord Grey’s manor soon came into view; many elites were already flocking into the grand hall and candles of every size had been lit to commemorate the event. Baekhyun looked up at the manor in awe, he had never seen anything this grand. He feels like he had landed himself in the royal palace, heavily guarded and everything was either silver or gold. His reactions left a smile on Chanyeol’s face too, the omega was so innocent, but he eventually had to nudge him a little to get him out of his trance.

They soon entered the grand ballroom, and Baekhyun felt the jitters again. Everybody was dressed so beautifully, and the interior was absolutely stunning. Little glasses of champagne floated around, the music like crisp water to his ears. Chanyeol guided him to the exhibition, the purpose of their visit, where some people are already crowding around. It made Baekhyun so excited, there was so much that he wanted to see and do.

Chanyeol takes a quick glance at the omega who is brimming with excitement. 

_ He hasn’t figured it out yet. _

The nobles are admiring dresses. Really pretty, beautiful dresses. Baekhyun steps forward to see, but they slowly begin to halt when he takes a good look at the designs, noticing every familiar stitch on the fabric. It feels like some sort of deja vu, Baekhyun feels like he’s seen them before.

Baekhyun’s face pales when he realizes what’s happening, his heart begins to hurt.

He made all these dresses.

The dresses that he made with all his hard work, and was the result of blood and beatings from the Disraelis. He made them all, how dare they take credit for all the dresses he had created, all for some measly bread and water?

Baekhyun feels even more faint when he reads the banner. It made him feel so nauseous and sick, he wanted to run out of this manor. All those years of wondering where his dresses went, he finally had the answer.

_ “The most outstanding seamstress alive! Celebrating Erik Disraeli’s Iconic Dresses” _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hope you liked this chapter, and remember to stream Candy! Baekhyun's vocals are awesome 😎


	6. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I'm really sorry this was late

_ Baekhyun’s back in the old and chipped wooden room. _

_ Wham! _

_ A loud punch made him groan at the impact. Erik had just screamed at him for using the ‘wrong’ colour combination on a dress. For Erik, it had to be pink on pink, blue on blue, purple on purple. Baekhyun always thought that pink and purple went well together, he was just trying to make the most out of the design. _

_ “Omega bastard, who told you to put pink on purple? Follow instructions next time, you piece of shit!” Erik had spat, grabbing the omega by the collar before tossing him in another direction like a sack of flour. _

_ Rolls of fabric tumble on top of Baekhyun, adding more pain to his already bruised body. It made his stomach hurt, the fabric probably weighed more than he did. Baekhyun wanted to cry, but the tears didn’t come, it was a living hell.  _

Baekhyun was always curious to know where his dresses go, but he had no way of knowing because every time he finished each dress, he’ll be thrown with more fabrics to work on the next one. But now, he sees his dresses, loved by all and full of praises. He even heard that a certain Princess possessed one of his works.

Baekhyun let a tear slip, feeling his heart break a little at the sight.

It isn’t fair.

Chanyeol eyes Baekhyun from the side, noticing the tears slipping down the omega’s cheeks.

_ He knows. _

Chanyeol reaches out to hold Baekhyun’s shoulders, the boy looks like he’s about to faint. He felt bad for making him cry, he knew it would happen from the moment he brought him in here, but he must make Baekhyun know what the Disraelis have done to him. 

“Baekhyun? You don’t look too good. Let’s go outside for some fresh air.”

They walk out to the balcony, or rather, Chanyeol was pushing Baekhyun to the balcony as the omega hid his face. Baekhyun grabbed onto the railings until his knuckles turned white, trembling with both anger and despair at what he had just seen.

“Baekhyun. Are you better now?” Chanyeol asked, looking at Baekhyun who only continued to let out tears from his eyes. Nothing was okay, what he just saw was a huge revelation he wished he didn’t find out. How dare Erik use him and keep him in that locked  _ cage  _ for nearly ten years, is this how he is repaid?

“No...No…” 

Baekhyun choked out, shaking his head. He sacrificed everything to work in that room, hoping that all the beatings and curses would one day be worth it and the Disraelis would soon keep to their promise and give the stability and reputation that they claimed to offer him. Now that he’s seen it all, everything was just a big fat lie.

“Those works...they’re mine! I made them, every single piece, with my own hands!” 

Baekhyun cried, his chin trembling with every word he spoke. He was furious that he could be so naive, angry that he had let all his hard work taken away just like that.

“They’re mine...” The omega eventually crumbled to the ground, overwhelmed with melancholy. Chanyeol rushed over to help him, but the omega thrashes and resists cooperating, only throwing hard punches at the alpha’s chest as he repeats those same words.

“They’re mine! They’re m-mine…”

“Shh, Baekhyun, I know. I know they’re all yours.” Chanyeol understands. Baekhyun had his fingers blistered and suffered so many hours in the Disraeli manor, only to be repaid like this today. As an alpha, he felt responsible to protect omegas like Baekhyun from all the cruelty in the world. So many alphas had used their status to manipulate omegas who only wanted a better future, and Erik Disraeli was definitely one of them.

Chanyeol held the omega’s wrists tightly as he tried to calm the smaller who was still trembling and shivering, prompting him to wrap the omega in a tight hug. The merchant had never treated an employee this way before, but having seen the tears on the poor boy’s face, he couldn’t resist giving him comfort. Baekhyun dries his tears on Chanyeol’s coat, sobs subsiding into tiny little sniffles.

“That’s why I brought you here, Baekhyun. Start embroidering again, don’t let those bastards take away all the credit for your hard work. This is your chance.” 

Chanyeol brings up after a short moment of silence. The absurdity of the statement cues Baekhyun to step backwards, revealing his puffy eyes and flushed cheeks. Baekhyun is lucky that the makeup didn’t smudge his face at all despite all the waterworks. 

“You must be crazy, Mr. Chanyeol.” Baekhyun replies, a slight anger in his eyes. “I’m not even that good of a seamstress, why do you even want to help me?”

“Because I fell in love with your work.”

When those words left Chanyeol’s lips, he could see the surprise registered on Baekhyun’s face. 

“You may not know, but the Disraelis had an exhibition in their manor before.” Chanyeol continued, “I was stunned by all the pieces, of course, but then I saw a bluebird stitched so beautifully, almost mimicking real life. It looked so free and bold, I have never seen any embroidery like that before.”

A bluebird stitched to appear so free and hopeful, Chanyeol could only laugh at the irony now that the seamstress was actually stuck in a locked cage.

“Baekhyun, I want to see your embroidery again.”

The assurance in Chanyeol’s voice made Baekhyun’s eyes drip with tears again. All it took was a few words from Chanyeol to help him begin healing, to forget whatever he had experienced and to become hopeful about his future once more.

Baekhyun wants to sew. It’s his calling, his vocation.

The omega turns to Chanyeol, making sure to wipe his eyes before speaking, “Mr. Chanyeol, I want to sew again.”

Chanyeol smiled, and wrapped the boy in a tight hug. “Yes, Baekhyun, I’ll make sure to get all the finest materials for you. And this time, I promise it’ll be different, you won’t regret it Baek.”

Baekhyun felt a slight flush to his cheeks. A short span of a month or two and Chanyeol had already changed him so much for the better and he couldn’t help but feel indebted to the man. He doesn’t have to worry about food and shelter anymore, and can finally focus on more important things. Baekhyun still feels a little hesitant that he might regret his decision, but he really wants to sew and become passionate about his skill again. 

After making sure that Baekhyun was calm, Chanyeol looked up with dark eyes, his face turning smug.

_ Yes, Baekhyun. Sew to your heart’s content. It’ll be the key to entering that world. _

Chanyeol’s eyes zoomed in on Lord Grey, smiling so happily with his guests as if he was some kind of saint, like he had never committed any sin.

Sponsoring a budding embroidery artist like Baekhyun would also be his key to becoming closer to the man. That smile on that corrupted man’s face, it’ll not be long before he rips it off.

-

“Baekhyun, follow me.”

It was the following day, and Baekhyun felt a lot more rested after last night. It felt like a huge weight from the past was suddenly lifted overnight. The servant quickly obliged and stood behind his tall master. 

Chanyeol opens the door, and they are faced with an embroidery room filled with the best quality threads, fabrics and equipment. Baekhyun had to stop himself from looking at the room with a hanging jaw, almost running to look at everything.

“I actually had this room up before you came, hoping it’ll become useful one day.” Chanyeol glanced at the room proudly. It was an upgraded version of Seulgi’s own embroidery room, Chanyeol had ordered for all the finest things to be placed in here.

“Mr. Chanyeol, this room, it’s amazing.” Baekhyun sat down on the plump chair, looking at all the different threads in front of him. He squealed like a little child, there was even silk thread! Back at the Disraelis, he was always only given enough florins to buy the cheapest sewing materials. 

“What would you like me to sew, Mr. Chanyeol? I can try to make it.” Baekhyun was ready to take on any task, he had thought of what Chanyeol would ask of him, perhaps the unfinished suit, or an embroidered item?

Chanyeol pretended to put in much thought before replying, “Just make anything you feel like making.”

_ Anything. _

Baekhyun has never heard such an order before.

“A-Anything?” Baekhyun clarified, still confused. It was the last thing the omega expected of the merchant. 

“Yes, anything. Now, I shall not disturb you, please go ahead.” Chanyeol excuses himself, noticing the surprised expression on Baekhyun’s face. Chanyeol is hoping to expect something the next time he comes to this room.

Once the door was closed, Baekhyun stared at the needle and thread in his hands, frozen still with no idea what to do.

-

Nanny Yeong closed the door to the embroidery room with a worried look. She had just entered to serve Baekhyun his dinner after having not seen him in the servants’ cafeteria, but the boy inside that room is frozen still, having not moved a single inch since afternoon.

Chanyeol happened to pass by, likewise peeking into the room with curiosity. But having seen the look of displeasure on Nanny Yeong’s face, Chanyeol frowned and became extremely befuddled; why isn’t Baekhyun touching anything? Didn’t he look so excited when he had entered the room?

“Baekhyun has been like this since afternoon. I’m worried for him, Chanyeol. Shall we call the young master from the Oh mansion to come here? He has many talented dressmakers under his sleeve, maybe he can help us.”

Chanyeol nods, and it sends Nanny Yeong all the way to the gates, ordering the chauffeur to send a note to Sehun. Now that he was alone, Chanyeol peeks into the room once more, and as the Nanny had described, Baekhyun simply sat there with the materials in his hands, but it didn’t spark any action at all.

It made Chanyeol slightly worried, was he pushing the omega too hard? Is it too early to ask him to do this?

-

The next morning, Sehun arrives at the Park Mansion looking prim and proper, greeting his good friend before they take a walk over to the embroidery room. Sehun had heard amazing things about this certain seamstress that Chanyeol is sponsoring, but seems like his friend is extremely worried about the lack of progress.

“Chanyeol, don’t you think that because Baekhyun has been following orders all his life, he probably doesn’t know what you mean by  _ anything _ ? I’m sure there are so many things he wants to sew, but he just doesn’t know where to start.” Sehun assured. Having seen enough artists working in their household, he knew that there would be an art block at times.

“Oh...I’ve never really thought about it that way.” Chanyeol nodded. Sehun was right, the boy had no freedom at all. To suddenly tell him to make anything he wishes might be a bit of a stretch, Chanyeol now realizes.

They reach the embroidery room, and knock gently before entering.

The two walk in, and they are faced with a Baekhyun sleeping on the table, snoring softly with his cheeks resting gently on the cloths. As they walk closer, Chanyeol sees something beyond his expectations, earning a chuckle from Sehun.

Flowers of an intricate pattern with simple yet bold colors, little pouches stitched with cute little bunnies with delicate and elegant lines, and the most impressive of all was an embroidery of a strong phoenix with dominant eyes, used with different colored silk threads to give it a royal finish. 

“Chanyeol...who is this boy exactly? Is he really a kid you found on the streets? I’ve never seen anything like this...I can’t believe he made all these in one night.” Sehun held the fabrics in his hands, speechless at the intricate detailing and design. He looked back at the boy, he looked at most twenty, it’s impossible!

Chanyeol too was amazed by the works. He didn’t have to worry after all, the omega simply didn’t know where to start. He looks at Baekhyun, the omega looks pretty cute as he squirms in his sleep, lips jutting out to form a small pout. 

It’s crazy to know what this adorable omega is capable of doing.

“My instinct was right. This boy right here is a prodigy.”

  
  



	7. Seven

With a satisfied smile, Chanyeol lifted Baekhyun bridal style and back to the omega’s room, placing the warm sheets over him before stepping back outside. Sehun stood at the door with a bewildered look, his best friend has been hiding secrets from him, he knows it.

“Chanyeol, you told me that this boy was just a servant, an assistant of the Disraelis. But his work says otherwise! There’s something you’re not telling me.”

Chanyeol simply smiled and walked casually back to his own office. 

“Come on, I’ll tell you.”

Meanwhile, the sleepy Baekhyun burrows himself into the soft blanket, the sunlight penetrating slightly through his window. Despite having sewn the entire night, he felt extremely well rested. It was the first time he had so much freedom, complete total freedom to do whatever he wanted.

Baekhyun had hesitated a little in the beginning, but after hours of staring at the fabric and needle in his hand, he realized that he was no longer in that little wooden shed in the basement. He was here in the Park Mansion, to do as he wished.

With no time to waste, Baekhyun quickly got to work, sewing things that he had always wanted to make - little pouches, and embroidering art. He had even embroidered a nice view of the lake where he and Mr. Chanyeol had first met. A beautiful sight like that should be kept in print.

But the most important thing that Baekhyun kept in mind when he was embroidering, is that Mr. Chanyeol will like what he has made…

-

“Wait, so this boy is a servant, but he is actually a proxy for the Disraelis? Unbelievable, the tradition that the Disraelis uphold…” Sehun went back to look at Baekhyun’s works, he thought that the omega was just a prodigy, but taking one more look, the amount of precision and detailing is indeed beyond belief, unlike anything he had ever seen.

“That’s right. It’s hard to believe, but Baekhyun made every gown under the Disraelis.” Chanyeol pulled out another one of Baekhyun’s works, a slight smirk creeping up onto his face. It was the lake.

“Now it is no wonder you are so nice to the boy, you’re carrying a gold mine with you, yeol.” Sehun shakes his head in defeat, Chanyeol had always surpassed him in many areas with how extremely smart and calculative the merchant was.

“But wait, does that mean you started the fire?” Sehun suddenly thought, if not, how was Chanyeol able to bring Baekhyun over?

Chanyeol tsked at his best friend and shook his head. “Now you’re being rude, Sehun. Someone in the Disraeli mansion was already planning it, I simply sped up the process with a few extra florins.” 

Sehun plopped back down on the couch, finding the whole situation extremely hilarious.

“I would love to see the reaction on Lord Grey’s face when he finds out about this, that the Disraelis he spent so much on are actually a scam.”

In the midst of their conversation, the door suddenly slams open, revealing a Baekhyun who is out of breath, having run over from the other side of the mansion. When he stirred awake from his short sumbler, he was a little muddled before he looked out of the window.

It was almost noon! Where are his works? Has Chanyeol seen it already?

“Good afternoon, Baekhyun.” 

A simple greeting from Chanyeol breaks Baekhyun out from his thoughts. He glances at the items in Chanyeol’s hands - he’s already seen it!

It made Baekhyun nervous and jittery, he couldn’t help it when all his life, he was told not to do anything he wanted. What if Chanyeol actually meant something when he said ‘anything’? Was he perhaps too stupid to get it?

“Y-You’ve already seen it, Mr. Chanyeol.” Baekhyun hiccuped, trying to maintain his composure in front of the alpha.

Chanyeol observed how Baekhyun shifted uncomfortably as he stood at the door, it piqued Sehun’s interest as well. He was confused as to why a boy with so much talent, could actually appear so timid and uncertain.

“Are you nervous about your work, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked, looking straightforwardly at the omega.

Baekhyun nodded in response, “Yes, it might not sell…” 

Baekhyun’s response made Chanyeol even more bewildered. 

“This work is magnificent, Baekhyun. No need to be insecure about it at all.” He complimented, “I might even give you an art exhibition just to display all these.”

“Really?” Baekhyun looked up quickly, with innocent, sparkling eyes, hoping that he wasn’t mistaken. It had only been a day since he started, and he was already given the chance to start his own exhibition? He blanked out a little, thinking it would take three years, at least.

“Yes. Now, go and have your lunch. Nanny Yeong told me you didn’t have dinner last night. It’s beef stew with potatoes today.” Chanyeol put down the work, walking over to tidy up Baekhyun’s hair. 

Baekhyun turned beet red at the close contact. He almost wanted to close his eyes with the way Chanyeol was looking at him - it was understandable why so many nobles wanted to wed their daughters to him. Park Chanyeol was the epitome of handsome. Baekhyun tried to hide his shy smile, plush lips turning into a small pout. 

“Alright, go join the others now. I’ll see you later.” Chanyeol tucked one more tiny tuft of hair behind Baekhyun’s ear, before ushering him to the door.

Baekhyun had to blink quickly to regain consciousness, which had become hazy from being entranced by the elder’s looks for so long. His eyes widened when he soon realized what he did.

_ Oh no, I was ogling at my boss! _

With tinted cheeks, the omega quickly bows and runs out of the room, earning a chuckle from both men.

“Park, he’s cute.”

-

The pawnbroker’s shop is usually quiet and peaceful. It wasn’t doing as well as it used to - nobody came in to trade their family heirlooms for cash these days. The owner rests his head on the table, waiting for anyone to enter.

Suddenly, a very mysterious ragged man comes in fully masked, covered in a cloak and a hat big enough to hide his face.

“What would you like to get today, mister?” 

“I heard you have some Disraeli dresses here. I’ll like to see them please.” The masked man responded, voice almost turning into a whisper. He had to get what he needed fast, nobody should be seeing him here buying back his own dresses.

The owner quickly went to the back, taking out all the Disraeli dresses he could find from the storage. He returns with dresses of different colors, it was some of their finest pieces.

“Some of these are counterfeit, but I’m sure they’re just as good as the real thing!” The owner smiled joyfully, but the man grumbled the moment he saw the pieces. Everything was counterfeit, not just a few. The embroidery is terrible, and is nowhere on par to the official Disraeli dresses. He ends up picking one though, he didn’t really have a choice.

The man eventually walks out of the store, unsatisfied. He looks at the piece he had just bought, it’ll save him some time, but he really needed to find a proxy. If not, Lord Grey will catch up to his lies soon.

With a shake of a head, he trudges along the uneven road.

-

Baekhyun hums a soft tune in his workspace, putting the thread through the needle effortlessly and going ahead to poke it into the fabric. He was making an embroidered piece of the bouquet of lilies inside the room.

It felt amazing and liberating to not be limited to just making dresses, Baekhyun loved using his thread and needle to make art pieces, worthy of being hung up on the wall.

Baekhyun found himself peeking out at the window. It was now about 10 in the evening, which means Chanyeol will be back soon. He heard from the servants that he had an important meeting nearby.

The door suddenly clicks, which takes Baekhyun by surprise. He turned around, and found Chanyeol walking in, removed from his formal coat and top hat. 

“Evening, Baekhyun. How’s your progress?” Chanyeol inched closer, looking at the embroidered canvas - he couldn’t really figure out what it will be yet, but it still looks visibly stunning.

Baekhyun felt his little heart leaping, and he quickly explained to Chanyeol about his latest project and its design - the omega tried very hard to look at his master in the eye, but Chanyeol’s gaze was sharp and he unconsciously looked away again.

“That’s good. Mind if I sit here and watch for a while?” Chanyeol moves over to the couch, turning it into his makeshift bed as he cushions his head on the pillow.

“Sure, Mr. Chanyeol. Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be here for a while.” Baekhyun was pleased, yet he felt an unrest creeping into his blood. He picks up the needle, and continues sewing onto the canvas. 

A while later, Baekhyun was finally done with a huge portion of the canvas. He places his needle down and does a quick stretch for his aching arms and fingers, it also seemed like a good time to take a look at the couch - Chanyeol had been quiet for a period now.

Baekhyun catches sight of Chanyeol, asleep on the couch. He stifles a giggle, getting up from his chair to walk over to the alpha. 

Baekhyun bends down, in a position where he could see Chanyeol’s face perfectly.

“He must be tired, the meeting was longer today.” Baekhyun mutters to himself, observing the way Chanyeol’s chest goes up and down in his slumber. 

Baekhyun shifted a little closer, it was a rare sight to see Chanyeol so calm and peaceful, and the close proximity only made him blush even more. These days, he couldn’t tell what he was feeling for the alpha - was it gratitude, or affection? Chanyeol had been nothing but kind to him all the while, with such delicate patience that set his heart aflame.

Baekhyun tried not to make his crush obvious, but deep down he knew that he desired to be held in Chanyeol’s arms, to be told that he was ‘amazing’ and ‘talented’ everyday, and most of all to be engulfed in his warm embrace.

It was certainly not just gratitude.

With a sudden urge and newfound confidence, Baekhyun closed his eyes and joined their lips quickly, surrendering to his impulsive desires. It was soft and electrifying, unlike anything Baekhyun had experienced before.

That mere second made him feel like his spirit had transcended to a new world, an entire different meaning to  _ living.  _ But the next second, his smile faded as he thought of what he had done, and tears began to fall as he remembered how a previous servant had been kicked out after revealing her feelings to the master.

_ What have I done? _

Baekhyun dashes out of the room - he doesn’t know what to feel. He felt happy, yet scared. Fulfilled, yet terrified. How could he face Chanyeol now?

The room becomes silent, and Chanyeol can finally open his eyes.

His hands move to his lips, remembering the soft plump ones that have landed on his minutes ago.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how long was it since the last update? oopsies


End file.
